The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is a campaign that begins on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Every year, it runs through to International Human Rights Day, on 10 December. 

According to UN Women:

• 1 in 3 women experience gender-based violence during their lifetime.
• 1 in 5 women aged 20-24 were married before turning 18.
• Less than 40% of women who experience violence seek help of any sort.
• A new study by UNODC and UN Women shows that, on average, more than 5 women or girls were killed every hour by someone in their own family in 2021. The report is a horrific reminder that violence against women and girls is one of the most pervasive human rights violations worldwide.  

It is no secret that the pandemic has exacerbated gender inequalities. These past couple of years have been extremely challenging for women and girls worldwide. As a matter of fact, lockdown measures have shown that all types of violence against women and girls have intensified. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi stated that: “The unprecedented socio-economic impacts of the pandemic are leaving many lives in peril. We are seeing extremely worrying increases in reports of gender-based violence, including domestic violence, forced marriages, child labour, and adolescent pregnancies.” The pandemic has had a brutal and pejorative impact on refugees all around the world. As for women and girls on the move, in particular, they have been facing a triple crisis: COVID-19, displacement, and gender-based violence.

A massive consequence for women and girls on the move is the additional unpaid household chores and caregiving, having some of them turning to precarious jobs in the informal sector, or onto the streets. Due to this burden, opportunities for education are diminished while exposure to the virus is increased. The pandemic has also dramatically impacted refugee girls’ education as many are forced to drop out of school and sold off to get married. As a result of COVID-19, an additional 13 million girls are at risk of forced marriage as some refugee families are on the verge  of extreme poverty.

The pandemic’s immediate implications through governmental responses neglected the needs of women and girls  on the move, including their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). In most cases, migrants and refugees were not considered for COVID-19 initiatives, and policies imposed limitations that had a direct impact on their well-being. The interlocking challenges that women and girls on the move experience necessitate a gendered perspective on  the global health issue. CEDAW, the ICCPR, the ICESCR, the UDHR, and the UN Declaration on Violence Against Women are among the international legal instruments that protect women and girls on the move. Nevertheless, not all of these international legal instruments have been ratified universally. As a result, several countries have yet to adopt them into their legal structures.

As youth-led organizations working on the inclusive participation of young women and girls in politics, and on migration governance and policy, we believe that young women and girls, particularly those on the move, deserve to be meaningfully engaged and represented in processes that concern them. This is, even more, the case when it comes to eliminating GBV and violence against women  and girls (VAWG). 

In honor of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, Polics4Her and MYCP have outlined 16 Calls to Action for youth, civil society, UN agencies and member states.

Call to Action for Youth:

1. Eliminate violence against women and girls by raising awareness, breaking stereotypes and preventing the underlying attitudes and discrimination that result in various forms of violence.
2. Challenge political, social, and cultural norms to achieve effective change and positive transformation. 
3. Organise awareness-raising campaigns on harmful gender norms and stereotypes and promote gender equality. 
4. Advocate for better protection and rehabilitation of survivors of GBV by demanding States provide safe spaces and adequate mental health and psychosocial support. 
5. Question and address gender stereotypes that perpetuate violence against women and girls, especially those affected by forced migration. 
6. Mobilise fellow youth through powerful social protests and social media campaigns to take a stand to combat GBV and discrimination against women and girls. 
7. Include and meaningfully engage young women and girls in policy and decision-making processes in particular those that are the most affected by crises. Nothing about them without them.
8. Build relationships based on mutual support and respect between young people across the globe, foster knowledge sharing and stand in solidarity on issues directly affecting us.

Call to Action for the UN and Member States: 

1. Create youth-friendly and gender-inclusive environments through training opportunities, policies, and financial investment where young people can thrive.
2. Ensure access to comprehensive education empowering young women and girls on their rights to allow them to make the most informed choices free from coercion.
3. Zero tolerance and no-impunity policies for peacekeepers and aid workers perpetrating sexual abuse and exploitation against forcibly displaced women and girls placed in camps and other post-conflict settings. Governments must serve and protect survivors by committing to adopt a ‘survivor-centred approach’. 
4. Fund youth-led and grassroots movements advocating tirelessly for the elimination of VAW and women and girls on the move, particularly in Global Majority countries. 
5. Commit to concrete and measurable actions to tackle the climate crisis, including environmental degradation and humanitarian disasters which amplify existing gender inequalities since women depend more on and have less access to natural resources. 
6. Adopt an intersectional approach to youth engagement as women and girls facing exploitation, abuse, and/or violence belong to an umbrella: women and girls on the move; people with disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) people; and, indigenous people and ethnic minorities. 
7. Ensure governmental accountability and response in host communities that elevate and center the needs (especially SRHR), voices and experiences of women and girls affected by conflict, disasters, and forced displacement during humanitarian aid responses. This includes narratives that honour their resilience, silence, bravery, and right to forget. 
8. Engage young people in feminist leadership, movement building, gender justice and rights by avoiding tokenism, ageism, sexism and racism and as active partners, understanding that we share equal rights and responsibilities.